What restrictions would a caravan have in NT/West QLD
Submitted: Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 15:22
ThreadID: 149089
Views:1047
Replies:3
FollowUps:2
trenton
Some background to frame the questions - We are a family of 6 (4 boys 7,9,11,13), plenty of off-road/camping experience. We have a new setup being an Iveco Daily 4x4 & 24ft Off-road caravan replacing a 79 D/Cab and Camper. In April-July we are doing
Brisbane to
Broome. The first few weeks of the trip is
Brisbane to
Winton with another family where remote off-road is not the plan. From
Winton to
Broome we have no restrictions. We have approx 10-12 weeks by ourselves to cover this stretch. The truck is setup with RTT and
bunker tents for the boys, 300l water and kitchen/fridge, the purpose being to be able to unhitch on continue when the going gets too tough for the van.
The question(s) from your experience
1. What sections between
Winton &
Darwin (pre Gibb) would we need to be truck only and are these in/out or a continuation (I.e not doubling back) or where could you just not get a caravan that is a must see.
2. Would you drop the van in
Darwin and do Gibb as truck only or, as above, are the side trips on the Gibb usually in/out so we can pick back up and continue along the Gibb?
3. The caravan is more comfortable as everyone has a bed and it has an ensuite so taking this is a preference but not a necessity. Would you take the van along the trip or drop in
Winton and pick up on return as there would be too many instances of truck only to worry about the extra hassle?
Reply By: zanderslot - Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 17:11
Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 17:11
We did 4 months this year on the same trip.
15 year old Triton towing a
home made van.
Brisbane to
Boulia and across the Plenty. Sand dust and corros.
Side trip with van into Davenport ranges for 4 days. Rocky and rough.
A week in
Darwin then Dundee for a week.
Litchfield and
Kakadu with the van.
Katherine to
Kununurra with 3 nights at Keep river np.
Then down Duncan rd to
Halls Creek then up to Purnululu.
Purnululu was probably the highlight of the trip. Took the van in but it was 2 hours to do 50ks.
Very rough, slow with about 30 wet and dry creek crossings. Single axle vans only allowed.
Up to
Wyndham. Stocked up for the next 3 weeks on the Gibb. Especially beer. No take aways on the Gibb.
Took the van on the Gibb along with a thousand other vans.
The only place we unhooked the van was at King Edward
campground. Tented a night at
Mitchell falls
campground. Took the van to
Kalumburu and
Honeymoon Bay.
From
Broome we came back to
Halls Creek then down the Tanami (including Wolf Creek Crater) to
Alice Springs.
Port Augusta,
Broken Hill,
Cunnamulla,
home.
AnswerID:
646841
Follow Up By: Member - McLaren3030 - Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 07:01
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 07:01
I agree with zanderslot, the only
places I would not take the van are
Mitchell Falls and Bungle Bungles. Everywhere else is doable with an Off Road van as long as the van is
well set up, with the appropriate tyre pressures.
Macca.
FollowupID:
927569
Reply By: Member - Cuppa - Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 17:24
Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 17:24
Tow the van from
Winton to Mt Isa, via
Boulia (maybe after a few side trips in the
Winton area), & then east to
Cloncurry & north to '4 Ways' the west to
Gregory. Leave the Van at
Gregory whilst taking a trip to Adels Grove/
Lawn Hill Gorge.
From
Gregory a mix of bitumen & some slower dirt road to
Camooweal, the west across the Barkly to 3 ways & North to
Katherine.
From
Katherine west to
Kununurra. A fair bit of good day tripping at Kununarra, whilst based at a CP there, maybe a night or two up at
Cape Domett.
Leave van at
Kununurra & do a loop taking in the GRR, returning via the Highway - stopping at the Bungles & camping at Violet Valley.
Collect van from
Kununurra head to
Broome (on the highway again).
AnswerID:
646842
Follow Up By: trenton - Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 17:51
Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 17:51
Thanks Cuppa. Good suggestions.
I am interested in the part about dropping the van at
Gregory and truck it in at
Lawn Hill. That was one spot I wasn't overly concerned about but I was looking at coming up from the Barkly rather than in from
Gregory. Road in from
Gregory a bit tougher?
What are your thoughts on
Savannah Way instead of heading back south and across the Barkly?
FollowupID:
927567
Reply By: Member - Cuppa - Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 18:07
Wednesday, Nov 20, 2024 at 18:07
The
Savannah Way would be quite do-able with the van ………. depending upon your tolerance for corrugations. You could go across to
Borroloola & then bitumen to
Daly Waters, or if you haven’t had enough of the corrugations north through the Limmen NP to Ngukurr &
Katherine, but our experience of that road was that it was a lot rougher than anywhere on the Savanna Way. Pretty impressive
places you can access though. If you are not yet familiar with how the van & Iveco combo feels on rough roads just try some along the way & make your decisions as you go. I expect the van will cope if driven slowly, what is less certain is whether you’ll be enjoying the adventure, or gritting your teeth for days on end just wanting to get it over & done with.
AnswerID:
646843